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Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of Dermabacter hominis
No full text'Dermabacter hominis', a short gram-positive rod, is a part of the human skin flora, but can also cause infections (e.g., skin and soft tissue infections, bone and joint infections, abscesses, peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis, and bacteremia). Only limited data are available for antimicrobial resistance rates. Although CLSI does include coryneform genera in 'Corynebacterium spp.' clinical breakpoints, they point out that only limited data are available on resistance rates. The aim of this study was to assess the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of clinical isolates of 'D. hominis' and to deduce breakpoints for disk diffusion. 'D. hominis' (n = 30) from five laboratories in Germany were tested by broth microdilution and disk diffusion method. MICs were interpreted according to current clinical breakpoints for 'Corynebacterium spp.' or pharmacokinetic–pharmacodynamic breakpoints (EUCAST). To deduce breakpoints for disk diffusion, MICs were correlated with inhibition zone diameters. All isolates were susceptible to vancomycin, rifampicin, and linezolid (100%, n = 30/30). Lower susceptibility rates were found for ampicillin (83%, n = 25/30) followed by ceftriaxone (37%, n = 11/30) and clindamycin (27%, n = 8/30). All isolates were resistant to benzylpenicillin and daptomycin. Good correlations between disk diffusion and MIC (suggested breakpoints for susceptibility in brackets) were found for ampicillin (S ≥ 10 mm), ceftriaxone (S ≥ 24 mm), clindamycin (S ≥ 19 mm), levofloxacin (I ≥ 24 mm), linezolid (S ≥ 29 mm), rifampicin (S ≥ 38 mm), and vancomycin (S ≥ 21 mm). Due to limited variances in both MIC values and inhibition zone diameters, no disk diffusion breakpoint could be deduced for gentamicin and benzylpenicillin in our dataset. 'D. hominis' has favorable susceptibility rates for vancomycin, rifampicin, and linezolid and shows correlations between MIC and disk diffusion diameter for selected antimicrobial agents. Thus, the development of clinical breakpoints for disk diffusion appears feasible
Artificial Intelligence in the German Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry: A Comparative Analysis of Empirical Survey Results
No full textThis study presents a comparative analysis of survey data collected from 124 companies in the German chemical and pharmaceutical industry in 2020 and 2025. The findings reveal a clear upward trend in digitalization: in 2025, 91% of companies rated digitalization as "relevant" or "very relevant", up from 75% in 2020. Over this period, digital initiatives shifted from a focus on basic IT infrastructure and communication tools to a more consistent integration of artificial intelligence (AI). The adoption of AI grew substantially, with active use expanding from 34% of companies in 2020 to 76% in 2025. Generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT and customized enterprise assistants, are
increasingly embedded in daily operations, particularly in large firms and a rising number of SMEs. AI’s relevance is highest in research & development and customer service, likely reflecting new generative AI capabilities. Main obstacles to AI shifted from organizational and budget issues in 2020
to technical and regulatory challenges, particularly IT security, in 2025. Mid-sized companies (50-999 employees) report the greatest difficulties in keeping pace with digital transformation. Overall, the sector is transitioning from isolated pilot projects to broad, multi-functional use of AI technologies
Downregulation of interleukin 6 signaling might reduce the risk of periodontitis: a drug target Mendelian randomization study
No full textAim: Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is considered to play a role in the dysbiotic host response in the development of periodontitis. While the inhibition of the IL-6 receptor using monoclonal antibodies is a well-established therapy for some diseases, so far, its potential benefit in patients with periodontitis has not been examined. We tested the association of genetically proxied downregulation of IL-6 signaling with periodontitis to explore whether downregulation of IL-6 signaling could represent a viable treatment target for periodontitis, Materials and methods: As proxies for IL-6 signaling downregulation, we selected 52 genetic variants in close vicinity of the gene encoding IL-6 receptor that were associated with lower circulating C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 575 531 participants of European ancestry from the UK Biobank and the Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology (CHARGE) consortium. Associations with periodontitis were tested with inverse-variance weighted Mendelian randomization in a study of 17 353 cases and 28 210 controls of European descent in the Gene-Lifestyle Interactions in Dental Endpoints (GLIDE) consortium. In addition, the effect of CRP reduction independent of the IL-6 pathway was assessed.
Results: Genetically proxied downregulation of IL-6 signaling was associated with lower odds of periodontitis (odds ratio (OR) = 0.81 per 1-unit decrement in log-CRP levels; 95% confidence interval (CI): [0.66;0.99]; P = 0.0497). Genetically proxied reduction of CRP independent of the IL-6 pathway had a similar effect (OR = 0.81; 95% CI: [0.68; 0.98]; P = 0.0296). Conclusion: In conclusion, genetically proxied downregulation of IL-6 signaling was associated with lower odds of periodontitis and CRP might be a causal target for the effect of IL-6 on the risk of periodontitis
Effect of transversus abdominis plane blocks in abdominoplasties on postoperative outcomes
No full textBackground: Acute postoperative pain after surgery may lead to significant complications including chronification of pain, impaired cardiopulmonary function, and increased healthcare costs. As a common and complex procedure, abdominoplasty is a key focus for pain management strategies. Although transversus abdominis plane blocks, which target the abdominal wall's sensory nerves to reduce postoperative pain by blocking nociceptive input, have shown promise in reducing postoperative pain in abdominal surgeries, their use in abdominoplasty remains underexplored.
Methods: Outcomes for patients undergoing abdominoplasty between 2013 and 2024 were analysed, comparing those who received a transversus abdominis plane block with those who did not. Postoperative analgesia followed a standardized protocol using oral narcotics and piritramide. Pain outcomes were assessed in both groups via chart review. The primary outcome, length of hospital stay, was analysed by multivariable linear regression adjusted for patient and surgical factors. Secondary outcomes, including complications and revision rates, were assessed by logistic regression. Exploratory analyses examined how reductions in medication use affected length of hospital stay and discharge timing. Results: Overall, 192 patients who had an abdominoplasty were included in analyses: 93 had a transversus abdominis plane block and 99 did not. The transversus abdominis plane group had a significantly shorter hospital stay, with a reduction of 2.21 (95% confidence interval (c.i.) −3.07 to −1.36) days after adjusting for confounders (P < 0.001; effect size, Cohen's d 0.45). Surgical complications occurred in 46.9% of patients. The overall complication risk in the transversus abdominis plane block group was significantly reduced by 52% (adjusted odds ratio 0.44, 95% c.i. 0.23 to 0.84; P = 0.012; effect size 0.52), particularly the occurrence of haematoma (adjusted odds ratio 0.34; P = 0.031; effect size 0.66). Additionally, patients who had a transversus abdominis plane block required less postoperative medication, including lower tilidine (P = 0.038) and metamizole (P = 0.032) doses. Conclusion: Use of the transversus abdominis plane block in patients who had an abdominoplasty was associated with improved postoperative outcomes, highlighting its potential as an effective pain management strategy and supporting its broader clinical application
Engineering of a chitin deacetylase to generate tailor-made chitosan polymers
No full textChitin deacetylases (CDAs) emerge as a valuable tool to produce chitosans with a nonrandom distribution of N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) and glucosamine (GlcN) units. We hypothesized before that CDAs tend to bind certain sequences within the substrate matching their subsite preferences for either GlcNAc or GlcN units. Thus, they deacetylate or N-acetylate their substrates at nonrandom positions. To understand the molecular basis of these preferences, we analyzed the binding site of a CDA from Pestalotiopsis sp. (PesCDA) using a detailed activity screening of a site-saturation mutagenesis library. In addition, molecular dynamics simulations were conducted to get an in-depth view of crucial interactions along the binding site. Besides elucidating the function of several amino acids, we were able to show that only 3 residues are responsible for the highly specific binding of PesCDA to oligomeric substrates. The preference to bind a GlcNAc unit at subsite −2 and −1 can mainly be attributed to N75 and H199, respectively. Whereas an exchange of N75 at subsite −2 eliminates enzyme activity, H199 can be substituted with tyrosine to increase the GlcN acceptance at subsite −1. This change in substrate preference not only increases enzyme activity on certain substrates and changes composition of oligomeric products but also significantly changes the pattern of acetylation (PA) when N-acetylating polyglucosamine. Consequently, we could clearly show how subsite preferences influence the PA of chitosans produced with CDAs
Enhancing Pre-Service Teachers' Reflective Competence Through Structured Video Annotation
No full textWe examined the effects of a digital reflection and feedback intervention for pre-service teachers during a five-month school placement (Praxissemester) in Germany. Three reflection formats were compared: text-based memory protocols (control), unguided viewing of self-recorded lessons, and a structured digital video annotation (DVA) format. Fifty-five secondary teacher candidates were randomized into the three conditions and completed a validated, video-based Analysis-Competence Test before and after the semester. Repeated-measures ANOVA and mixed models showed robust overall improvement in global analysis competence across all groups. For process-oriented reasoning (whole-lesson reflection), both video-based formats showed significant within-group gains that were descriptively larger than those of the text-based control, although between-condition differences were not statistically significant; for synthetic competence (focused on specific lesson situations), the annotation group and the text-only control improved significantly, whereas the video-only condition did not, with the structured annotation group achieving the largest within-group gains and a trend-level advantage in higher-order reflection. Between-group effects did not reach conventional significance in either rmANOVA or the mixed models, though trends favored the annotation scaffold. These findings suggest that time-stamped, theory-aligned scaffolds can help pre-service teachers move beyond surface-level description toward deeper, theory-informed reflection in practicum settings
Flexible use of post-saccadic visual feedback in oculomotor learning
No full textSaccadic eye movements bring objects of interest onto our fovea. These gaze shifts are essential for visual perception of our environment and the interaction with the objects within it. They precede our actions and are thus modulated by current goals. It is assumed that saccadic adaptation, a recalibration process that restores saccade accuracy in case of error, is mainly based on an implicit comparison of expected and actual post-saccadic position of the target on the retina. However, there is increasing evidence that task demands modulate saccade adaptation and that errors in task performance may be sufficient to induce changes to saccade amplitude. We investigated if human participants are able to flexibly use different information sources within the post-saccadic visual feedback in task-dependent fashion. Using intra-saccadic manipulation of the visual input, participants were either presented with congruent post-saccadic information, indicating the saccade target unambiguously, or incongruent post-saccadic information, creating conflict between two possible target objects. Using different task instructions, we found that participants were able to modify their saccade behavior such that they achieved the goal of the task. They succeeded in decreasing saccade gain or maintaining it, depending on what was necessary for the task, irrespective of whether the post-saccadic feedback was congruent or incongruent. It appears that action intentions prime task-relevant feature dimensions and thereby facilitated the selection of the relevant information within the post-saccadic image. Thus, participants use post-saccadic feedback flexibly, depending on their intentions and pending actions
